Bathing fixture

ABSTRACT

A BATHING FIXTURE, SUCH AS A SHOWER PAN OR TUB, COMPRISING AN UPPER FLUID RETAINER MEMBER HAVING AN INCLINED BOTTOM WALL WITH A DRAIN OPENING THEREIN, AND A LOWER SUPPORT MEMBER RECEIVING THE FLUID RETAINER MEMBER AND HAVING A BOTTOM WALL WHICH INCLUDES RIB PORTIONS CONFORMING TO THE INCLINE OF THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE FLUID RETAINER MEMBER AND ENGAGINGLY SUPPORTING THE SAME.

E. R. FRAZIER BATHING FIXTURE Sept. 21, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June25, 1969 INVENTOR.

ELDON R. FRAZ/ER emrem ATTORNEYS Sept. 21, 1971 FRAZER 3,606,617

BATHING FIXTURE Filed June 25, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVIiN'I'UR. EL DONR. FRAZ/ER 9 4 ,g Mink AT TORNEY 5' United States Patent 6,606,617BATHING FIXTURE Eldon R. Frazier, Sturgis, Micl1., assignor toSilvercote Products, Inc., Elkhart, Ind. Filed June 25, 1969, Ser. No.836,327 Int. Cl. A47k 3/00 US. Cl. 4-145 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A bathing fixture, such as a shower pan or tub, comprising anupper fluid retainer member having an inclined bottom wall with a drainopening therein, and a lower support member receiving the fluid retainermember and having a bottom wall which includes rib portions conformingto the incline of the bottom wall of the fluid retainer member anden-gagingly supporting the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a bathing fixture andhas particular application to a shower pan or similar article, such as atub.

The bathing fixture of this invention comprises an upper fluid retainermember and a lower support member. The fluid retainer member includes abottom wall and an upwardly extending circumferential side wall. Thebottom wall has a drain opening therein and is inclined toward the drainopening. The support member includes a bottom wall and an upwardlyextending circumferential side wall. The bottom wall of the supportmember is adapted to rest upon a substantially level surface andincludes a plurality of inclined rib portions which conform to theincline of the bottom wall of the fluid retainer member. The fluidretainer member is seated Within the support member and has its bottomwall resting upon and supported by the conformed rib portions of thelower support member.

The bathing fixture of this invention is preferably formed from plasticsheet material and because of its two-piece construction provides afirmly supported, shaperetaining fixture of economical construction.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a bathingfixture of two-piece construction in which a fluid retainer memberhaving an inclined bottom wall is seated within a support member havingportions extensively engaging and supporting the bottom wall of theretainer member.

It is another object of this invention to provide a bathroom fixturecomprising an upper fluid retaining member and an engaging lower supportmember which are formed from plastic sheet material.

It is another object of this invention to provide a shower pan of highstrength and economical construction.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading ofthe inventions description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of ashower pan constructed in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shower pan showing the componentparts thereof in separated form.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodimentillustrated is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit my invention tothe precise form disclosed. It is chosen and described in order toPatented Sept. 21, 1971 best explain the principles of my invention andits application and practical use to thereby enable others skilled inthe art to best utilize the invention.

As an illustrative example of a bathing fixture of my invention, I havechosen a shower pan, hereinafter generally designated by the referencenumeral 10. It is to be understood, of course, that my invention wouldhave equal applicability to other similar bathing fixtures, such asbathtubs. Shower pan 10 includes a lower support member 12 and an upperfluid retainer member 13 which is seated within support member 12. Bothsupport member 12 and fluid retainer member 13 are preferably formedfrom plastic sheet material which is heat formed, such as by vacuumforming, into desired shape. It has been found that satisfactory showerpan strength and rigidity can be obtained by utilizingacrylanitrile-butadiene-styrene sheet material having a thickness of.125 inch.

Upper fluid retainer member 13 includes a bottom wall 14 which has adrain opening 15 therein and which is inclined downwardly toward drainopening 15. Drain opening 15 may be centrally located in bottom wall 14and is adapted to receive a drain fitting (not shown). Upper fluidretainer member 13 includes a circumferential side wall 16 which extendsupwardly from bottom wall 14 thereof and which may have an off-set uppermarginal portion 17 to provide an underlap and support for the siding ofthe shower stall in which pan 10 may be installed.

Lower support member 12 includes a bottom wall 18 which is adapted torest upon a substantially level foundation and a circumferential sidewall 20 which extends upwardly from bottom wall 18 thereof and whichconforms in shape to side wall 16 of the upper fluid retainer member.

Bottom wall 18 of lower support member 12 has a plurality of upwardlyprojecting rib portions 19 formed therein. Each rib portion 19preferably includes a flat upper surface 21 and is preferably spaced notmore than a width apart from adjacent rib portions. Upper fluid retainermember 13 is so sized that it can be snugly seated within lower supportmember 12 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 with bottom wall 14 restingupon and being supportingly engaged by upper surfaces 21 of lowersupport member rib portions 19. The upper surface 21 of each rib portion19 conforms to the shape or incline of the engaging portion of bottomwall 14. Side wall 20 of the lower support member 12 should sufficientlyoverlap side wall 16 of upper fluid retainer member 13 so that member 13will be restrained from lateral movement within member 12 and mayextend, if desired, to the off-set side wall margin 17 of member 12.

Rib portions 19 serve not only to support the bottom wall 14 of upperfluid retainer member 13 but also to strengthen and rigidify lowersupport member 12. Upper fluid retainer member 13 is preferably formedwith no rib portions therein and consequently is more flexible thanmember 12 so as to enable its bottom wall 14 to fully conform to theslope of rib portions 19 of the lower support member and thereby allowfor any irregularity in the forming of members 12 and 13 and unevenessof the lower support member. Bottom wall 18 of lower support member 12preferably has an aperture 22 therein which registers with drain opening15 in the upper fluid retainer member 13 and which serves to receive aportion of the drain fitting (not shown).

Shower pan 10 can be formed into a variety of shapes other than therectangular shape illustrated, such as square, hexagonal, or circular,and can be easily installed by simply stapling or nailing the lowersupport member 12 between rib portions 19 to the foundation andinserting the uper fluid retainer member 13 therein. If desired,

an adhesive can be applied between members 12 and 13 to ensure apermanent fit therebetween.

What I claim is:

1. A bathing fixture comprising an upper fluid retainer member and alower support member, said upper fluid retainer member including abottom wall and an upwardly extending circumferential side wall, saidbottom wall having a drain opening therein and being inclined from saidside wall downwardly toward said drain opening, said lower supportmember including a bottom wall and an upwardly extending circumferentialside wall, the bottom wall of said lower support member being adapted torest upon a substantially level foundation and including a plurality ofupwardly extending rib portions, said rib portions having upper surfacesconforming to the incline of the bottom wall of said upper fluidretainer member, said upper fluid retainer member seating within saidlower support member and having its bottom wall resting upon andsupported by the conformed upper rib surfaces of the bottom wall of thelower support member.

2. The bathing fixture of claim 1 wherein the bottom wall of said upperfluid retainer member is flexible 3. The bathing fixture of claim 1wherein each conformed rib surface is flat and supportingly engages aportion of the bottom wall of said upper fluid retainer memher.

4. The bathing fixture of claim 3 wherein said rib portions are ofsubstantially equal width and each spaced a width apart from adjacentrib portions.

5. The bathing fixture of claim 1 wherein said upper UNITED STATESPATENTS 335,838 2/1886 Perkins 4182 1,965,558 7/1934- Weirich 4-1821,970,465 8/1934 Martindell et a1. 4182 2,068,540 1/1937 Ehrlich 2481522,659,483 11/1953 Paige et al 248-152 2,853,714 9/1958 Darmstadt 4-l873,333,282 8/1967 Mustee 4187 2,421,808 6/1947 Robertson 4l87 2,635,2524/1953 Gerue et al 4-187 2,784,418 3/1957 Luoma 4187 0 LAVERNE D.GEIGER, Primary Examiner E. J. EARLS, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

